By: Allie Ferguson '11
Published on
A native of Lowell, Michigan, Wirgau graduated from Aquinas College in 1998 with a
major in communication. She later attended Aurora University where she received the
Judith Meyers Outstanding Graduate award. Among her other honors are the Spirit, Mind
& Body award, the 2002 YMCA Rookie of the Year award, and the Outstanding Service
award from College of DuPage.
This past June, AQ alumna Andrea Wirgau was appointed coordinator of the Doctorate in Community College Leadership program at Ferris State University. The program, launched in Summer 2010, is taught by both academic faculty and experienced community college leaders and strives to prepare professionals for the evolving environments of higher education.
Wirgau, no stranger to leadership in the academic setting, first realized her calling for higher education during her time at Aquinas College. She participated in various work-study and internship opportunities, including work in the Academic Advising and Alumni offices. “Aquinas has been influential beyond measure,” said Wirgau.
Wirgau credits the “Communication Team” as being her most influential professors on campus. “Dr. Dave Weinandy, Dr. Penny Avery, Dr. Renee Stahle, and Sister Rosemary O’Donnell were not only subject matter experts, but role models as they wove life lessons into their classroom topics. I still recall nuggets of knowledge that help me to connect to the wide variety of people in this world.” Currently completing her doctoral work in Higher Education and Organizational Change from Illinois’ Benedictine University, Wirgau looks back on the teachings of these individuals and applies them to her own work.
There are several other AQ experiences that Wirgau said influenced her and helped her reach her current career path. She has fond memories of studying abroad in Ireland and cherishes the lasting friendships she made there. “My experiences with Student Activities and Campus Ministry challenged me to think about the big picture - not just my own future, but the future as a whole. Mary Clark-Kaiser and Timi (Hough) Tullis challenged me to figure out how to best leverage my strengths to make a difference: a real, tangible, down-to-earth difference,” Wirgau added. Wirgau values the relationships she continues to maintain with these women today.
Wirgau, who previously served as coordinator of student activities at the College of DuPage in Elgin, Illinois, was pleased to accept her new job title. “Ferris is a great opportunity because it melds my two passions, leadership and lifelong learning. This job is exciting because I will perform a lot of logistical services for our incoming students, do some recruiting, help with the admissions process, register students and more.”
A motivating factor for Wirgau’s move that cannot be underestimated is her enduring Saint Spirit: “As a daughter, granddaughter, sister, and cousin of fellow AQ alumni, I am proud of my AQ roots. It is one of the many reasons why I chose to move back to West Michigan. Michigan gave me my roots and now it’s giving me wings.”
This past June, AQ alumna Andrea Wirgau was appointed coordinator of the Doctorate in Community College Leadership program at Ferris State University. The program, launched in Summer 2010, is taught by both academic faculty and experienced community college leaders and strives to prepare professionals for the evolving environments of higher education.
Wirgau, no stranger to leadership in the academic setting, first realized her calling for higher education during her time at Aquinas College. She participated in various work-study and internship opportunities, including work in the Academic Advising and Alumni offices. “Aquinas has been influential beyond measure,” said Wirgau.
Wirgau credits the “Communication Team” as being her most influential professors on campus. “Dr. Dave Weinandy, Dr. Penny Avery, Dr. Renee Stahle, and Sister Rosemary O’Donnell were not only subject matter experts, but role models as they wove life lessons into their classroom topics. I still recall nuggets of knowledge that help me to connect to the wide variety of people in this world.” Currently completing her doctoral work in Higher Education and Organizational Change from Illinois’ Benedictine University, Wirgau looks back on the teachings of these individuals and applies them to her own work.
There are several other AQ experiences that Wirgau said influenced her and helped her reach her current career path. She has fond memories of studying abroad in Ireland and cherishes the lasting friendships she made there. “My experiences with Student Activities and Campus Ministry challenged me to think about the big picture - not just my own future, but the future as a whole. Mary Clark-Kaiser and Timi (Hough) Tullis challenged me to figure out how to best leverage my strengths to make a difference: a real, tangible, down-to-earth difference,” Wirgau added. Wirgau values the relationships she continues to maintain with these women today.
Wirgau, who previously served as coordinator of student activities at the College of DuPage in Elgin, Illinois, was pleased to accept her new job title. “Ferris is a great opportunity because it melds my two passions, leadership and lifelong learning. This job is exciting because I will perform a lot of logistical services for our incoming students, do some recruiting, help with the admissions process, register students and more.”
A motivating factor for Wirgau’s move that cannot be underestimated is her enduring Saint Spirit: “As a daughter, granddaughter, sister, and cousin of fellow AQ alumni, I am proud of my AQ roots. It is one of the many reasons why I chose to move back to West Michigan. Michigan gave me my roots and now it’s giving me wings.”